Nets fall in one other clunker to Celtics in first recreation after NBA All-Star break – The Brooklyn Game
Well, that wasn’t how the Nets had hoped to start out off the second half of the season.
The Nets fell 129-106 to the Boston Celtics of their first recreation out of the NBA All-Star break on Thursday on the Barclays Center. While the loss wasn’t almost as unhealthy as their 126-91 defeat by the hands of Boston earlier this month, the Nets struggled out of the gate and by no means held a lead of their second loss of their final 4 video games.
It was one other night time that the Nets performed shorthanded with out a few of their greatest gamers, together with Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving. Both Durant and Simmons are anticipated to return quickly, with Durant presumably returning throughout the Nets’ subsequent three video games, however that did Brooklyn no good on Thursday night time.
[READ: Kevin Durant could return in Nets’ next 3 games]
The workforce shot simply 41.5% (39-for-94) from the sphere and 24.1% (7-for-29) from three-point vary. The Celtics led by as many as 24 factors after three-quarters of play at Barclays Center.
“Our message is staying collectively and staying constructive,” Steve Nash stated. “I advised the blokes we had two nice days of observe and tonight I don’t suppose we acquired higher. I don’t care in regards to the outcome, however I believed we may have performed higher. We may have made much less errors. Could have completed a number of extra issues that will have made tonight extra productive.
“We acknowledged we’re shorthanded. We’re sending these guys on the market and asking them to do greater than they’re accustomed to doing.”
Seth Curry led the Nest with 22 factors and shot 10-for-19. Bruce Brown contributed 15 factors and was the one Brooklyn participant to attain in double digits within the first quarter.
Andre Drummond added 11 and Kessler Edwards scored 13 factors off the bench. Nic Claxton appeared in his first recreation since Feb. 4 in Utah and performed 4 minutes.
“They beat us in a variety of completely different areas,” Curry stated. “It’s arduous to say what precise errors we made, however that’s workforce that we simply didn’t match what they have been doing on each ends of the ground from the get-go.”
Patty Mills’ struggles continued on Thursday because the Aussie sharpshooter had only one level in 28 minutes of labor. Mills went 0-for-9 from the sphere and 0-for-5 from past the arc.
The loss was not what the Nets wanted out of the gate, as they drop to 31-29 on the 12 months. Brooklyn had entered the night time sitting in eighth within the Eastern Conference and fell 7.5 video games again of the highest spot within the convention.
The Nets remained in a play-in spherical spot following the defeat by the hands of the Celtics.
“I simply know we’re within the play-in. I don’t know what number of video games or something. I’m not too frightened about it,” Brown responded when requested in regards to the Nets’ positioning within the standings. “Our guys are going to come back again and care for enterprise.”
Things by no means appeared shut proper from the opening tip. The Celtics went on an 8-2 run to start out the sport and the Beantown guests constructed off the early lead.
The Nets did handle to drag inside three early within the first quarter off of a Brown three, however that was the closest they’d get the remainder of the night time. Boston opened a 16 level lead with lower than a minute to play within the first when Derrick White knocked down pull-up three.
The Nets have been capable of keep inside 15 at first of the second half off pictures from Brown and Curry, however the Celtics once more cast ahead and constructed again on their lead.
“The good factor to do of it take it recreation by recreation,” Nash stated. “But we perceive the state of affairs we’re in. We know there’s urgency. We know that we’re not going to have a half a season to determine this factor out. we’re going to be up in opposition to the clock.”
